


It's a Girl (eight years late)

by yourmarvelhighness



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Anntoinette McKinley is Tony's Daughter, Anntoinette has many feels, Child Abandonment, Child Abuse, Eliza is a bad mom, Gen, Humor, Iron Man AU, Pepper is the best, Pre-Iron Man 1, Protective Jarvis, Set in 2000, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark has a daughter, Tony doesn't know how to act with children, so many feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2015-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-02 15:12:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2816741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourmarvelhighness/pseuds/yourmarvelhighness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Antoinette kept quiet while all this happened, her mind came to the realization that there was a possibility of not having a house to go home to after this. Her mind reeled with possibilities of what might happen to her after all of this was said and done.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dear Old Mom

**Author's Note:**

> This is an Iron Man AU, it is set pre-Iron Man Movies, the year 2000. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy this. This might turn into a series, if I get inspired enough. Let me know what you think? Please and thank you. :D Thanks to everyone that helped me edit and write this. Special thanks to [Lina](http://president-and-godemperor-forlife.tumblr.com/), [Ashley](http://actualbanshee.tumblr.com/) , and [Rissa](http://that-insane-shipper-girl.tumblr.com/). Thanks for putting up with me and all your support. This is the first piece of fanfic I ever wrote. So keep that in mind.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Antoinette kept quiet while all this happened, her mind came to the realization that there was a possibility of not having a house to go home to after this. Her mind reeled with possibilities of what might happen to her after all of this was said and done.

Antoinette McKinley, at eight, devoured the Harry Potter books. She had started the series a few days ago, and she was hooked, like every other child in the world. Unlike every other child, she read through the available four books in the series in two days and now she wanted to know what happened to Harry next.

 

She had begged her mother for the Harry Potter series for weeks and what felt like forever. Her mother had denied her the right because they ‘are devil books, Antoinette;’ she had remarked this with a distinct passion and disgust that only her mother was capable of. Her mother, also known as the religious crazy on the block, made her go to Sunday school and bible study at least twice a week; she learned Aramaic because of it. Eliza, Antoinette’s mother, had a tight leash on her and made sure to control every aspect of her life.

 

Her mother was a subject Antoinette liked to avoid if at all possible. Eliza had a stronger bond with her precious alcohol bottles than the relationship she told everyone she had with God, no matter how much she tried to lie to herself. Of course, no one could hear about her mother's affair with alcohol. It was a secret after all. “If anyone else finds out about that we will be ruined!” She could hear her mother’s voice in her head.

 

 _‘Fuck them,’_ she thought. _‘I just want a mommy. Like the one Betty has.’_ Betty, one of the only friends she had, her mom would ask her what she wanted and got that for her. She said no when she was supposed to. When she went to Betty’s house, there weren’t any alcohol bottles lying around, the only yells she heard were of glee.

 

She could still feel the tiny scar on her eyebrow. It was still healing with a tiny stitch and everything. It was caused by a wayward, miniscule piece of glass that flew when her mother threw a bottle in her direction. She had to go to the hospital as a result. Betty’s mom, Kayla, took her. She was also their neighbor, so when she heard the commotion she rushed over and found Netty bleeding and trying to fix the damage on her own. Kayla scooped her up and, against her mother’s wishes, took her to the ER. When she came back home, it was to her mother locked up in her room, so she left her alone and avoided her as much as possible. _So that’s what its gonna be this time, she’s gonna lock herself up for I don’t know how long._ Well, better for her then, no yelling and not knowing what to say for at least the rest of the day.

 

Antoinette never knew when to approach her mother with anything, due to a habit of hers that included alcohol and horrible bouts of depression. One time she woke up really thirsty, so she made her way to the kitchen. Since she was walking barefoot through the dark kitchen, she felt something prick her skin. She turned on the light, brought her foot up for inspection and found a dot of blood. It was from a piece of glass. She looked around the room to see what it could have been from, and she found a broken black label bottle. _‘That’s mommy’s favorite,’_ she mused. Antoinette mostly kept to herself unless she became stubborn about some idea that had made a home inside of her head.

 

“Antoinette, come to the living room,” her mother’s voice called. Little Antoinette huffed from inside her room and nervously started to wonder what she might have done this time.

 

“Ugh, coming Mom,” she responded with all the attitude the eight year old could muster. She jumped off her bed and with thud when she landed on the carpet in her room. When she walked by her beloved skates, her hands caressed the roughed-up booties that had been through so much with her.

 

When she got to the living room, the older woman started to talk. “Honey, pack a bag, only one. Once you’re done with that, let me know.”

 

“Why?” Antoinette asked, the tone a bit annoyed. She looked up at the older version of herself with a questioning look.

 

“Just do as you’re told, Sweetie,” Antoinette heard the bitter hint of exasperation in her mother’s voice that was always there when her line of questioning began.

 

“Okay,” Little Antoinette shrugged uncertainly as she made her way to her room.

 

Her eyes landed on her Harry Potter collection. Right next to it was the bible that she was forced to learn from in bible study. She rolled her eyes just at the sight of it. It was written in Aramaic. Just looking at the bible brought back all those bible study sessions and fights with her mother. All the confusion and hurt attached to those fights came right back. _I hate it when Momma thinks she knows everything. It always makes her drink more._ That bible was not going anywhere near her backpack. No siree.

 

The Harry Potter books were set aside. Next her eyes landed on her ice skates. She smiled and ran to get them and with all the necessary gear that came along with her favorite sport. Figure Skating was the only thing that truly held her attention for more than a week, a constant peppered through her unending list of habits and hobbies that weaved their way in and out of her life. _Where are we going? Why do I have to pack my bag?_ Were just a few of the questions her mind started to conjure up. _She's the one that always packs it for me._ She let her eyes roam the room as she tried to figure out what to put in her Hot Wheels backpack. _I can do this, I am the smartest in the whole third grade, so I am gonna make mommy so proud!_ Her brain spoke, giving herself a pep-talk so she could mentally prepare her 8-year-old brain for the daunting task ahead.

 

From observing her mother as she packed her previous bags, she deducted where everything in her room was placed. First, she went to her dresser and opened up the drawer where her underwear was located. She might as well pack for a week, so seven pairs of those she picked out. Next, she went for her jammies, of course she had to take her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles jammies. She skipped over the Barbie ones pjs. _‘Mommy makes me take those on every trip and I hate pink.’_ .Then, as a stand out were her Hot Wheels jammies. _‘Mommy always says those are for boys but I don’t care, I like them!’_ She thought. The Mulan PJ’s caught her eye next. _Those were the only ones Mom ever liked._ She remembered the smile on her mother’s face when she picked out her first ever Disney Princess item, she closed that drawer shut. The motion made a _clang_ that made her flinch.

 

She popped opened the next drawer and grabbed her Figure Skating outfits. As her gaze traveled through the available leotards and skirts, she spotted her favorite red leotard and gold skirt combo. _’Mommy hates this outfit because it stands out and that's why its coming with me'._ she thought, miming her mom’s usual response to it. Her hands worked quick to gather them and she placed them into her bag. Right next to it were a couple more of her usual black leotards with pink skirts. _‘Momma always forces me into these, they suck.’_ Those stayed far away from her backpack. They might give her some disease that would make her become boring. The ones she did take were the purple skirts and tan leotards. She stuffed a tiny handful of them into her bag. After that, she skipped her way over to her closet.

 

The closet doors made a _crack_ as she grabbed the handle to open them. She grabbed the first seven shirts and pants she spotted- all a very colorful assortment, mind you. Basically, all of the ones Eliza didn’t let her wear. So it made it a given that they were coming along on the journey with her. _'She should've packed my bag, if she didn't want me to bring anything that she hated.'_ her thoughts rang loud with rebellion. Some pairs of shoes made their way into her awesome Hot Wheels backpack. She zoomed over to where she placed her skates and Harry Potter books and packed those, too.

 

 _Toys!_ She went over to the red toy chest she with enthusiasm that vibrated on her every step. She could almost feel the ground shake. The blue special edition Hot Wheels suitcase she carried to practically every place she went to was packed, as well as the action figures her mother detested. The tiny chemical lab kit and the cell phone she found and picked apart would have to stay at home.

 

“Antoinette, Sweetie, are you done?” Her mother’s voice carried throughout the house and to her living room. It sounded like she was distracted or nervous or something was wrong. Thoughts raced a mile a minute in her head as she started to question not _if_ but _what_ was wrong.

 

“Yes, mom, I just finished,” Antoinette screeched out as a bit of an uncomfortable feeling started to hit her stomach. Stumbling because of her heavy backpack, she made her way toward the living room to where her mother was.

 

“That’s great, Honey.” Fake enthusiasm poured out of her mother’s mouth as she continued, “Let’s get this bag to the car.”

 

They made their way outside to the driveway as she walked in the general direction of it absentmindedly. She was trying to figure out what was wrong. Her instincts nagged at her something smelled funny, like funky fish from the sushi place around the corner.

 

“Your bag is already in the car, hon.” The reply did little to calm what felt like bats flying around in her stomach. “Come on, Antoinette, the bus leaves in a bit. We have to leave now if we want to make it on time.”

 

The mention of a bus distracted her from the tummy ache. She had always told her mom she wanted to ride on a bus! _Wow, a bus ride finally. I have the best mom ever!_ So they made their way to the car and Antoinette was too busy being excited about at last being able to ride a bus to notice that there was no additional bag in the car. It was only her lone Hot Wheels backpack in the car.

 

The thump made by the car doors as they were closed was thunderous in Antoinette’s ears. She winced a bit at the sound, as it echoed. As the car travelled through the San Francisco streets, her tiny body could barely handle all the excitement, as she bounced in her seat, at the thought of a journey on a bus.

 

“Sweetie,” her mother’s voice started out a bit high, “Here we are at the bus station, let’s get’cha inside.”

 

“Um, okay,” Antoinette muttered out. They roamed inside the bus station, where there were so many people, it got to be a tad overwhelming for a tiny body. She held her Hot Wheels bag clutched tight to her. Her mother ushered her towards a big sign that read, _‘Bus to Malibu departs in 15 min.’_ They came to a stop right in front of said sign.

 

“Okay, Honey, this is where I say goodbye. Here is your ticket for the bus admission. You give that to the bus driver when you get on, Sweetie. Also, once you get there- to Malibu, I mean- look for Tony Stark, your dad.” Panic filled her brain. Alarms and sirens were all going off at the same time. Her stomach swished and violently housed a small tornado as the fear set in. The terror at the thought of being abandoned made her dizzy. She felt when she tumbled to the side, it took all her strength to right herself again and find balance. She could barely stand up as her knees buckled.

 

She took the ticket from her mother’s hand, her tiny fingers trembled as she collected the ticket that would also symbolize her instant journey to adulthood. As soon as Antoinette had her hands on the ticket her mother ran away and vanished into the crowd. Her gaze, with the last hint of hope, desperately searched through the bus station for her mom. She tried her hardest to keep her panic at bay, so she wouldn’t break into a thousand pieces all over the grimy floor. She was stronger than that. So she did the only thing she knew how to do; and focused on the puzzle in front of her until it made sense.

 

She turned around, afraid as she desperately clung to logic to keep the tears at bay, and saw this enormous bus that would take her to a place called Malibu, where apparentlyDadd-Tony Stark, she corrected, lived. Snot started to fill her small nose. Stubborn as she was, though, she refused to let that out, too. In her throat, a knot that felt the size of the Grand Canyon was threatening to break her soul. With her vision a bit blurry from the tears in her eyes, she marched her way over to the bus. The bus driver asked for her ticket, took it, and showed her to her seat.

 

The bus journey was filled with snot and tears as the eight year old genius suffered a mental break down as the world she had come to know shattered spectacularly around her. Her life crumbled like the stale bread she had for dinner the day before. She was in a bit of a daze the whole trip, but like the miniature genius she had always been, she was strong as the steel she worked with and focused on the challenge ahead. She set her mind to the task in front of her; finding her father, Tony Stark, that guy that was always on TV, that her mother complained about so much.

As she tried to make her way off the bus the bus driver looked at her skeptically, probably wondering who was going to pick her up. The bus driver approached her and asked, “Is anybody here for ya?”

 

“No, but Mommy gave me money for a taxi so I could get to daddy’s,” the tiny girl insisted in a surprisingly strong voice, although tiny tear tracks could still be seen on the young girl’s rose-colored cheeks. She was still trying to gather herself together as well as a strong-willed eight year old could manage. Inside, the pain of being left behind was forming an immense amount of pressure. There was also confusion among the hurricane of emotions that was currently taking over her. It felt like the bats that swarmed her stomach earlier became pterodactyls and were savagely fighting to the death in the pit of her stomach.

 

“Alright, let me call the taxi service so they can pick you up here. How does that sound, Sweetie?” The concerned bus driver suggested to the tiny girl.

 

All Antoinette could manage was a tiny nod as the ocean of feelings still flooded her. The ocean in her rocked fiercely with waves that only a thunderstorm could cause. The bus driver took his huge cell phone out of his pocket and placed the call to the taxi service. The man tried to make conversation with Antoinette, but she was in a land far away, too consumed by her emotions. She only let out one worded responses to the man’s attempts at conversation.

 

It felt like no time had passed as the taxi entered the parking lot of the bus station, and the bus driver half dragged her over to it. He asked her where she was going and she said, with as much confidence she could conjure up under the circumstances, “Tony Stark’s house.”

 

Antoinette could only hope it was enough to get her to where she needed to be.

 

“Really, kid?” The bus driver blurted with an incredulous tone.

 

Antoinette nodded and responded with a surprising tone of authority that left no room for question. “Yes, that’s where mommy said I had to go, so that is where the taxi is gonna take me.”

 

The bus driver had no choice but to shrug and inform the taxi driver of her request, he even paid for her fare.

 

The tiny blonde climbed her way up the mountain of a seat inside of the taxi. The bus driver helped her load her Hot Wheels backpack into the back seat, right beside her. Her tiny hands clutched her backpack as if it was her lifeline, the only thing that helped her keep her head afloat and from drowning in the maze of emotions that was too much for an eight year old to carry around.

 

The clang of the metal as it hit the interior of the car was deafening and it felt like it was shutting her out from the outside world. The ride was silent and the atmosphere was horribly tense. Antoinette numbly stared out at the scenery. She could not even bring herself to take in the beautiful beach littered roadways the taxi traveled through.

 

The driver announced that they had arrived and Antoinette uttered a quiet "Thanks." It resounded with the years of manners her mother had ingrained in her.

 

The driver opened the door and it was time to face the music. She slid off the seat and placed her backpack, her life-line, on her back. The driver got back into his taxi and took off. Antoinette turned and gazed astonished at the mansion of a house in front of her. It looked to her like some sort of art she would find in a museum made out of glass and white structures.

 

She made her way to the door, and before she even knocked or rang the doorbell, someone opened the door. In front of her was Tony Stark. _Daddy!_ He was dressed in a white muscle shirt and covered in black stains from head to toe.

 

“Hi, Tiny Person,” Tony let out, but before he could launch into a tirade, she interrupted him.

 

“Mommy said she didn’t want me anymore and she said that you are my Daddy,” Antoinette delivered in a weak and vulnerable voice, squeezing some confusion in her tone.

 

“Well, I never got the ‘it’s a girl’ memo. And what’s your name?” Tony busted with while he teased the tiny munchkin. He seemed very much disgusted with the idea of him being a father, she gathered from his tone.

 

“Antoinette Elizabeth McKinley,” she declared.

 

“What’s going on here, Tyke? Who’s your mommy dearest?” He plainly asked while looking her directly in the eye.

 

The tiny blond took a deep breath and explained her situation.

 

“Eliza McKinley. My mom told me to pack a bag,” she babbled as she gestured over to it. “Back in San Francisco, Mom took me to the bus station and dropped me off and then she said bye and told me to find you in Malibu.”

 

“And just how did you find Casa de Stark?” He asked, and he looked like he was trying to solve a problem. He used his hands as he displayed the house, he completed his delivery with a mirthful look in his eye.

 

“I told the bus driver I needed to get to your house, so he called a cab and got him to drive me here.” she stated, amazed she was able to sound calm and rational as the torrent of emotions swirled and tumbled throughout her body.

 

“I do not have kids, Kid!” He exclaimed with a bit of an edge to his voice.

 

“According to mom, you kinda do,” she told him plainly, her tiny feet planted firmly on the concrete she stood on.

 

“Sure, Kid, whatever you say. Next thing you know, Britney Spears is going to shave her head. Let me get Happy so he can take you back to your mom and you can leave,” he muttered as he started to turn towards the inside of the house.

 

“HEY MR.STARK, MY MOMMY LEFT ME, OKAY? I AM JUST TELLING YOU WHAT SHE TOLD ME TO DO, OKAY? I HAVE NO WHERE ELSE TO GO! I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO? OKAY?” Antoinette belted with all her might, which caused the man to turn sharply in her direction. She was still confused, but she was tired, and as she finally let herself drown in all the emotions, her tiny body barely managed to keep her steady. She swayed a tad as the emotions all hit her at the same time. She leaned against the frame of the door. It had finally sunk in.

 

“My mommy doesn't want me anymore.” _It’s all my fault!_ It all crashed down, her mother had abandoned her. She was alone in the world. Her eyes swam in tears and she finally let them out. Antoinette tried to focus on anything but the ongoing inner swarm of feelings she was battling with, she focused on the glass door and the mechanics of it.

 

With tears still making their way down her chubby cheeks, she asked, “The door, you didn’t pull it open. It opened on its own.” She paused and looked at the framework of the door, desperately searching for an answer.

 

“Does every door in your house run on a system like that?” She said as the tears slowed and her mind was finally off her mother leaving her on her own, her tiny hands started to work their way up and down the ridges of the glass door, trying to find hinges that kept it together.

 

Distractedly, her mouth rambled out a story as she added, “Last month, I kinda borrowed the hydraulic system in mom’s engine for a project. Mommy got mad though ‘cause I came home with my clothes ripped up and dirty.”

 

She shrugged as if any eight year old stole and worked on a hydraulic system all on their own. Her voice was still wobbly and unsure, but she achieved her goal as she distracted herself with another train of thought. The tears slowed down, but the emotions still bursted with eruptions right under the surface.

 

Something in his face changed; she could not pinpoint it. His eyes were attentive, all on her now, but there was a fear in them that was not there before. His stare was sharper now. It looked as if he recognized something.

 

“JARVIS, put Pepper on the line, would you? Ask her what the fuck I’m supposed to do with a sobbing midget claiming to be mine.” His voice colored with panic. He stared at Antoinette as if she were an alien from a magical land with unicorns and ponies. “I fucking want a paternity test, in fact I demand it! Trojan and their stupid good for nothing condoms will get sued; still not my kid, Tyke!” He vehemently stood by his earlier statements.

 

Anger made its way up her spine and the tears finally stopped. She used that anger as an anchor, it helped her keep her head clear and focused on what was going on right in front of her.

 

“I am not a midget,” the tiny blond reminded him. She had tear tracks on her face, but a spark of steel was present in her voice. It spoke volumes, it showed that the life she had lived hadn’t been all fairytales and gumdrops. “I am a kid.”

 

Just then, a robotic voice interrupted, “Ms. Potts is on the line, Sir.”

 

He kindly added his two cents in, “I don’t suppose you should be cursing in front of the infant, Sir.”

 

A mysterious voice managed with an English accent and snooty tone in it's singular way. The voice helped her let out a bit of the tension that had her feeling like a stretched out wire. Antoinette couldn’t help but let out a giggle at that comment.

 

“Mr. Stark, what’s this about a sobbing midget? Don’t be rude!” A pretty and feminine voice admonished Tony, sounding confused.

 

“Well apparently, Little Miss Thing here just reminded me she is a kid and her mom just abandoned her. She said her mom told her she was mine, which can’t happen.” It all came out rushed with a bit of disgust that somehow twisted into apprehension.

 

“Oh, and she is sobbing, too, and I mean losing it. Or at least she was, I'm not too sure what in hell is going on here.” He added in as an afterthought. “What am I supposed to do with her?” Panic and frustration were the only things that came across this time.

 

“Well, first of all, where in the house are you exactly? And you better not say the front door where anyone can see you and find out about it!” The voice sounded peeved and capable, so the little blonde let her handle the situation; she was too emotionally spent for this.

 

“Duh nooo, of course we’re in the living room.” He stated, with doubt.

 

“No, we are not.” Antoinette, always helpful, said as she was being ushered into said living room and the man smashed his face against his palm. “Yea _now_ we’re in the living room.”

 

“Thank you, Sweetie. Mr. Stark, do not try to lie to me. What’s your name, Honey?” the voice firmly commented after the older man, she sounded like a fairy that could command an entire fairy army, as she got after him.

 

“You're welcome, Miss, and it’s Antoinette McKinley.” The tiny tyke giggled and replied with a sassy but saccharine tone. She looked directly at Tony as he mocked her as he repeated what she just said in a high pitched voice, which caused the young one to glare at the man.

 

“So what _is_ going to happen is that I am going to rush over there. We are going to get Mr. Stark to call your mother and then get an at home paternity test and a doctor to make it official. We will go from there, okay? ” Who she finally realized was Pepper said. She was able to take a firm hold of the chaotic events with a few directives.

 

“She is not my kid, Ms. Potts, there are no little Starks running around. I want a paternity test done now! And our lawyers will be suing everyone that gave me this headache and caused this emotional breakdown Trojan included.” Tony’s voice sounded agitated and it ended with a yell. He said it all while he wildly gesticulated at the little blond tyke and pointed at everything in the room it seemed.

 

“Yes, Mr. Stark, that is our goal, Sir. Now, if you will please calm down, there is a child present. Mr. Stark, while I get there, you _will_ call Antoinette’s mother so we can get her verbal permission so it can hold up in court. Do you _understand?_ ” Pepper’s voice said as she embodied a general ordering troops around.

 

“Yes, Dear,” Tony responded with a sarcastic voice.

 

Antoinette kept quiet while all this happened, her mind came to the realization that there was a possibility of not having a house to go home to after this. Her mind reeled with possibilities of what might happen to her after all of this was said and done. As the sound of the call disconnected, Antoinette’s attention was brought back to the room. Tony Stark looked at her with a face that said many things that she could not place. The lines in between his eyebrows scrunched up just like hers did whenever she was so close to figuring out how to make a car work or the answer to a problem.

 

Antoinette reached for her backpack, shook it off; then went on to take a seat at the couch, crossed her arms across her chest and answered, “(415) 213-4569”.

 

“Did you get that, JARVIS?” Tony spoke to the room “Dial the monster’s mother, will you?”

 

“Is that an AI?” Antoinette asked in astonishment. “I always wanted to try and make one but mommy never let me.”

 

The disembodied voice answered before Tony could get a word in. “Miss McKinley, to answer your question, I am an artificial intelligence that Mr. Stark developed so he would not have to perform menial tasks. So that he could have more time to perform important tasks, like lazing about. And Sir, I am in the process of connecting the call.”

 

“Wow, JARVIS, is that how you treat your the nan who put his blood sweat and tears into creating you?” he asked as a dial tone sounded throughout the house.

 

It felt like if she were about to walk the plank and the captain (Tony) was holding the sword at her back. She could almost feel the tip of the sword on her back as it poked her toward her death sentence. She reached to the middle of her back where the made-up tip of the sword would be placed and walked a few steps forward on the imagined plank. The waters beneath her were turbulent and thunder cracked loudly as it made her quiver. The next few hours would determine the rest of her life. Now that wasn't daunting at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun...yes I am evil. How will the call go? Also for puposes of this fic lets pretend that this is how paternanity tests go. The second chapter is already written. I'm just editing. If anyone is intrested in becoming a beta for this give me a hollar?


	2. Here We Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tension in the room was palpable; the way Tony held himself reminded her of a coiled live wire, like the ones she loved to work with, tight and ready to spark up at a moment’s notice. Antoinette bursted at the seams, she was not ready to hear her mother’s voice through the intercom.

The tension in the room was palpable; the way Tony held himself reminded her of a coiled live wire, like the ones she loved to work with, tight and ready to spark up a fire in a hot second. Antoinette bursted at the seams, she was not ready to hear her mother’s voice through the intercom.

 

 

The dial tone rang for the second time. Tony felt her gaze and turned around to look at her. They both looked into each other’s eyes and in that moment his walls came down for a second only, but she was able to see the panic, fear, and anticipation that she felt within her tiny anguished soul.  

 

“Hello. Who is this?” Antoinette winced as the uptight voice bounced across the airwaves, a voice that just a few hours ago told her she wasn’t good enough. She was embarrassed that Tony had caught that reaction, a weak moment. She felt him as he looked at her as he tried to figure her out, as if she were his next big and complicated project.

 

“Am I speaking to Eliza McKinley?” He asked, his voice sounding nonchalant, as if this was going to be a call about pleasantries. It was completely the opposite of his body language, he still reminded her of the simmering coil that was ready to strike at a moment’s notice. The voice and the image she saw of the man standing in front of her completely mismatched. They could of been two different people for all she knew.   

 

She looked about the living room and took a seat to avoid the fact that her knees felt as if they could collapse any second. Antoinette curled up on the couch, hugged her knees, and kept quiet.

 

“Yes, this is she,” Eliza confirmed her identity for him.

 

“Hi, this is the great Tony Stark giving you a house call because your kid came to my door and said you told her she was mine.” He got straight to the point and his voice gained a grit she hadn’t heard before.      

 

“Oh, Antoinette, you mean. She’s there with you? That laser she built with my car parts was the last straw. That child has the devil in her; she made the laser and pointed it at a boy in her class! What child does that?” The female responded in a tone that was disgust personified. The tiny blonde saw Tony’s hands and jaw as they clenched, his face looked like a bomb that was about to go off. Antoinette could feel the anger rising in her, like a volcano that was about to explode, so she did.

 

“His name was Tyler and he was always bothering me and calling me names. I told him the next time he bothered me I would make something that could hurt him! So I made the laser. I know what I did wrong so next time it will actually slice right through him,” she exclaimed to the intercom with that steel in her voice as she got up on her feet. She stood up with her tiny fists clenched and her body rigid.

 

Tony let out a loud laugh, which echoed through the room.

 

“Did you really just laugh at the child’s behavior? Still haven’t changed, huh, Tony?” She said bitterly.

 

“Nope, still as awesome as always,” he said, still without a care in the world. Antoinette could tell he still had no clue who she was.

 

“You don’t remember, do you?” she asked. Antoinette noticed the expectant tone in her voice.

 

“Doesn’t ring a bell.” Still his tone was calm as ever, not a single note of panic came through.

 

“January of 1992. You were 21, I think, and I was 19. We met at a party here in San Francisco, right around the time your parents died. We spent the night dancing, drank a couple of drinks and, well, I followed you to your hotel room at the Intercontinental. Seven months later the girl was born.”  She reminded him.

 

Antoinette, who just had to add her two cents in, said, “Ewwwwww, I didn’t want to know that.”   

 

“Yeah, still nothing.” His voice was still normal as ever, yet his eyes said a different story, as if he were in another world, living something else, Antoinette noticed. “Anyway, adding to that subject, now I need to get your permission so I can get a paternity test done. Please say that like if you were in court, in front of the jury and witnesses.” His tone teasing but with that grit still obvious. “I blah, blah, blah, give The great god Tony Stark permission to… Get it, McKinley?

 

“Yes, I get it,” she bit out.

 

“I, Eliza McKinley, give you, Tony Stark, permission to perform a paternity test on Antoinette Elizabeth McKinley.” She stated, relieved, as that statement cleared her of all responsibility she held over the little girl. Those words felt final, her mother handed her over to a stranger. It was a done deal, she was not Eliza’s burden anymore. Antoinette gulped and wondered _Am I really that bad that mommy doesn’t want me?_

 

“Well, that’s all I needed, and let’s not do this again.” The finality in his voice rang out. Picking up his cue, JARVIS cut the phone call and as the click sounded Tony muttered ‘Psycho’ underneath his breath.  

 

“Well, that was rather unpleasant,” JARVIS mechanically stated.

 

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” Tony snarked right back without missing a beat of their familiar wit fest as it thrummed through the air. Antoinette let out a tiny laugh as she sat back down on the comfy couch.

 

“It seems, Sir, that she carries the Stark affinity for weapons and IQ.” JARVIS echoed into the room, and the tense air was back in an instant.

 

Antoinette heard the door open and a beautiful blonde that she assumed was Pepper came in with what could only be a doctor trailing behind her. Her heels could be heard, click clack like a beat to an elegant classy sound. _The Fairy General!_ her brain blurted.

 

“Hi Sweetie, you must be Antoinette,” She greeted as she held her hand and gave it a firm squeeze that gave her a bit of strength as she came into contact with the blonde’s solid but gentle grip. “I am Pepper Potts, Mr. Stark’s assistant, and this is Dr. Williams. He is going to help us today.”

 

“Yes, of course the pixie gets all the love. Let’s get this over and done with, please.” Tony whined as he looked at Pepper and the tiny girl with a bit of reluctance.

 

“Alright then, let’s get the procedure started. If you will, Dr. Williams,” Pepper stated with a hand gesture that said get-to-it and the physician received the message loud and clear.

 

“What I am going to do, Antoinette, is with this swab-“

 

“I know how this works, you use that,” she said as she pointed to the swab, “to get my DNA then you get his and you compare them both. Then we find out if he is my Daddy.” She explained to the Doctor as if he were a toddler.

 

‘ _Duh! Ugh, does he think I am a dummy or what?’_ she mused.   

 

Pepper could not hold in her amusement and laughter escaped her from what Antoinette could hear.

 

“Smart-mouthed little…” Tony chuckled and whispered. Pepper gave his ribs a sharp nudge.

 

“OW!” Tony felt the need to say, which Antoinette knew was WAY over the top. He looked as if he wanted to say more but the fierce glare Pepper gave him shut him right up. Antoinette took pleasure in his misery and let out a laugh from deep within her. While this all happened, the doctor simply stared at them all with a dumbfounded look.

 

“Come on, do it already,” Antoinette said in an exasperated tone. So the doctor got right to it as he followed an eight-year-old’s command. He swabbed inside her cheek. It hurt, but she was not going to complain about it. Her mind started to analyze the importance of the swab and how it was going to drastically change her life one way or another. The currents of emotions made themselves present again and her eyes began to water, but she was not going to let the tears fall, not this time.

 

“Okay, we got what we needed. Now your turn, Mr. Stark.” Dr. Williams spoke.

 

He opened his mouth to make room for the cotton swab that was going to help them answer the question concerning the pickle they found themselves in. The tiny blonde sat down on the couch, tucked her knees into her, and hugged them. She laid her head on top of her knees; her vision went into a tunnel only lazar-focused on Tony and the Doctor collecting his DNA. When the doctor started to rub the inner part of his cheek, there was no visible reaction, he just stood there relaxed. Antoinette felt a sting of jealousy for his ability to act as if nothing was wrong, though she was smart enough to know that inside he must be a mess of emotions much like her. But he, unlike her, was able to keep it together, though she wanted to be able to do that desperately.

 

Once the doctor removed the cotton swab, Tony closed his mouth.

 

“That’ll be $10,000.”  Tony uttered, as he accompanied it with an arrogant smirk and looked serious, his hand out as if waiting for the money. The doctor simply stared and his jaw fell to the ground.

 

“Just ignore his comments, Dr. Williams. Please continue with your work.” Pepper instructed. So the doctor gathered his supplies and looked up.

 

“This is going to take a couple of hours. I will call with the results,” Dr. Williams mentioned hesitantly.

 

“‘Tony Stark Has a Kid’ will not be tomorrow’s headline, _right, Doc?_ ” Tony asked with that mix of grit and tease Antoinette had only ever seen him achieve towards the doctor. As he spoke the words, it was a reminder to the physician; he would suffer a thousand hells if he spoke a word of the latest happenings to anyone outside of this room. Antoinette was happy she wasn’t the doctor. The doctor nodded, unable to say much else, but in his eyes there was a hint of fear. She was glad she was not him.

 

Pepper walked over to him and handed over a check. Antoinette could not read what it said, but she was sure it was nothing but change from Tony’s vast fortune. Pepper’s gaze spoke of what would happen to the doctor if this ever got out. He would have to deal with her, and that would mean the death of his career and possibly his life, she suspected

 

“Thank you, Dr. Williams. Let us know as soon as you have the results.” They shook hands and Pepper walked him to the door.  When the glass door shut everyone in the room looked at each other intently as if to make sure the surreal experience really did happen.

 

“Is that a Hot Wheels backpack I see there?” Pepper asked as she walked over to the couch and sat down next to it. “What’s in here, Antoinette?”

 

“Can you please not call me that? When the lady...” _Mommy._ “I hate it, can we please change it?” Antoinette said with a strong yet weak tone that a child should never be capable of.

 

“You mean your mother?” Pepper asked cautiously.

 

“She stopped being my mom as soon as that phone call ended.” Her voice had steel and fire that were present in her eyes and tone. Antoinette could see that Pepper took that statement to heart and Tony, well, his eyes said what he couldn’t. She might be crazy but she could see a speck of admiration in them. There was more than a bit of fiery anger in his gaze. He still reminded her of that electrified coil, but now the sparks had turned into a fire that could burn down entire cities. Antoinette was surprised she could actually get a read on him.

 

“How does Netty sound, Ms. McKinley?” JARVIS helpfully suggested.

 

“Oh God, JARVIS, don’t name the thing. You'll get attached!" Tony exclaimed with no malice. It simply was a joke from what she could tell, so she took it as that and let out a laugh that let her light up. It helped her release much of the tension she had been holding onto. She looked at the ceiling and fell against the couch laughing. Pepper, not knowing what else to do, joined her with a couple of chuckles of her own. When Netty looked at Tony in thanks, he shrugged at her with an arrogant smirk.   

 

“I like it JARVIS! Thank you!” She said with a glee that felt foreign. She missed it.

 

“Now you’ve done it! It’ll never leave now…” Tony said with a fake disdain, and that was all it took. The anger was back. Her emotions felt like a rollercoaster; they took her from one extreme to another. Not knowing what else to do, Netty stood up, marched over to him, and punched his thigh as hard as she could. It hurt her, but she wouldn’t let it show if she could help it. His gaze was directed down at her as if to challenge her- at least, that was what it felt like. Like if he was saying ‘That’s all you got, kid?’ with his eyes.

 

“Alright that’s enough from both of you!” She heard Pepper rush over to her as she admonished in a tone that made shame wash over her like a bucket of cold water. She felt Pepper’s hands pulling her toward the couch.

 

“Netty, come over here and show me what you brought with you, will you?” Pepper asked. _Ordered_ , Netty’s mind corrected.   

 

She opened her backpack and took out her prized Hot Wheels suitcase that contained her car collection. Pepper’s gaze looked impressed with the collection.

 

“I hate Disney Princesses, except Mulan, she fights in a war and leads a revolution in China. I love cars.” She said as she opened her suitcase with all her cars, her hand passed over them, it was like a caress. She took one out and she stated with adoration present in her voice. She held it up as if it were a pristine trophy- not a toy car.  

 

“This is a 1967 Chevy Impala, I borrowed it from Kevin and he never asked for it back, so I kept it,”  She explained. She heard Tony chuckle and Pepper looked as if she was just happy Netty was distracted. So she put that car carefully on the coffee table and picked up the next car. “This one is a 1967 Shelby Cobra. I won it in a bet,” she said proudly.

 

“A bet?” Tony echoed.

 

“What kind of bet?” he asked, curiosity colored his tone.

 

“Well, Kyle said that I would't be able to make a Ziploc bag explode by myself as a science project for the fair so I bet him his entire Hot Wheels collection, which is like a third of these cars, that I would be able to. So when I won the science fair with my Ziploc bag that went _boom_ , he had to give me all his cars,” she said, beaming arrogantly, as if the most impressive part of the story was that she won those cars.

 

“Sir, you and Ms. McKinley seem to share the common interest of causing things to combust,” JARVIS stated in a matter of fact way.

 

“The military and I have that in common, too.” He said, as if JARVIS made parallels between Tony and potential children every day, but it could be a possibility for all Netty knew.

 

“One more word out of you and I'm shutting you down.” Now there was the grit Netty was starting to become familiar with and that also told her that it was not an everyday occurrence. Netty looked at Pepper for some sign of how to navigate the situation; she was the one with experience in this area, after all. Pepper pointed toward her backpack, so she took that to mean to take out the next item. She rummaged within it’s contents and took out her ice skates. Those were her pride and joy; they represented a safe haven for her. It was the only thing that made her brain stop the ongoing trains of thoughts and ideas. She passed her hands over the skates reverently, as if they were made out of diamonds and pearls, even though they were torn up and a bit beat up from use. With reverence in her voice, she stated, “These are my ice skates.”    

 

Pepper, with surprise in her voice, went on to ask, “You ice skate?”

 

Netty nodded and went on to explain, “It was the only thing Eliza liked that I did and it was the only thing that made my brain shut off. I’ve been skating since I was three. I never really liked competing, but it was the deal we had going. I only got to skate if I competed. I was competing with middle school kids.”

 

“What do you mean ‘made your brain shut off’?” Pepper asked. That question caught Tony’s attention, he seemed curious as to what her answer would be.

 

“Well I…” She hesitated, trying to find a way to explain the way her mind worked.

 

“My head, it never really stops going, it’s always thinking and, well, the cars and making things explode only work to a certain degree. It’s never just one train of thought either, it’s a lot of them all getting in the way of the other. I’m pretty sure it’s something I need to get checked out, but Eliza never really listened to me.” Netty explained. “Skating was the one thing that shut everything else out. When I’m on the ice, nothing else really exists."

 

“Yeah, you need help, Kid.” Tony went on to answer.  

 

“I believe that it sounds like Ms. McKinley might have some form of ADD or ADHD, or she could as well have a combination of them. Wouldn’t you agree, Ms. Potts?” JARVIS piped in. It made her look at the ceiling, it felt weird for a voice not to have a body.

 

“Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking, JARVIS.”  Pepper said in an appreciative tone.

 

“Well, then I guess I have that.” Netty shrugged, and her eyes went right back to her skates. She wished she could put them on right now so she could avoid feeling everything. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. It barely worked. She heard someone clear their throat. It made her look up, her eyes focused, sharp and attentive looking for who made the noise. She found Pepper’s eyes, and it had been her. “What else is in the bag, Netty?”

 

“I… just my Harry Potter books. Everything else is clothes.” She took them out and showed them to Pepper.

 

“Oh yeah, I heard about those.” Pepper said in conversational voice. So the rest of the conversation continued with Netty telling Pepper about the plot of the Harry Potter series, in a detailed fashion, leaving nothing out. Tony helped to keep the conversation lively by adding in his brand of comedy and JARVIS decided to simply keep quiet. Eventually, Tony took a seat. Time passed, and with it came JARVIS’s voice after a length of it had gone by.  

 

“Sir, I have an incoming call from Dr. Williams. Where would you like to take it?” JARVIS stated after a couple of hours. It reminded Netty that she was not there to simply talk; not that she needed reminding, but it just served to bring it to the forefront. The tension in the room was back with a vengeance. The emotions that had calmed down to what felt like swirls, now thy felt like full on tornadoes and they were tearing down the weak walls she had managed to rebuild inside. The tears were back in her eyes, she could feel them trying to let loose, but she wasn’t letting them make their way down her cheeks

 

“Here is fine, JARVIS,” Tony stated plainly. She turned her head to where he was seated. He seemed to be thrumming with energy; as if he were a wire and it was giving a steady electrical feed that could power all of San Francisco. He must have felt her eyes on him, because he turned his eyes in her direction. His walls were back and she could not make out a single thing. Whatever he was thinking, though, caused his eyes to narrow and harden even more.   

 

“Alright, Sir,” JARVIS responded. Netty paid attention to Pepper, and the woman radiated grace and an underlying tension that would only be found if you looked hard enough.  

 

“Hello, Mr. Stark,” Dr. Williams greeted.

 

“Dr. Williams, just tell me what I already know: that there are no mini Starks,” Tony let out with frustration and agitation slipping into his voice   

 

“Well, actually, the results came back as a match. Ms. McKinley is your daughter, Mr. Stark.” Tony’s head snapped up in disbelief. Netty could feel everything inside burst into zillion pieces, the thread of composure she had been clinging to had just unraveled. The rest of the conversation she really couldn’t pay attention to or make any sense of it. Her eyes were leaking water; it felt like the tears just would never stop falling. She then felt arms came around her. Pepper, she guessed.

 

Netty turned her whole body towards Pepper, climbing on her lap and just bawling into her shirt. Pepper just held her while she rocked them back and forth. Netty was feeling everything she had avoided for the day. She had come up with a nice little recipe of relief, fear, panic, abandonment, and many more emotions, but those were really the only ones she could distinguish among the massive range of emotions that currently consumed her. She couldn’t breathe through her nose anymore, so her whole body started to heave as she let the air in through her mouth. She continued to pour her little heart out and Pepper kept the steady motion of rocking the whole time. She clung to whom she had dubbed the Fairy General with her tiny fists clenched onto Pepper’s silk shirt. The tears kept raining down on her cheeks like little daggers that pierced what little stability she had been able to gather.  

 

After what felt like hours, she felt herself come down from the rollercoaster. The tears were still coming, but they had slowed themselves down. Her body wasn’t trembling anymore. It had reduced only to a light shake as she breathed. Her emotions were still a mess, but now she was able to handle them.

 

“Sorry about your shirt,” she struggled to say into Pepper's shirt as she raised her gaze towards the woman.   

 

“Netty, is that a scar?” Pepper asked in concern, pushing Netty’s bangs to the side. She pressed a careful caress on her brow.

 

“Is that a stitch, honey?” her voice was slowly climbing to a steady panic as she questioned.

 

“How did it happen, Netty?” Pepper continued her inquisition.

 

She felt as Tony rapidly made his way over to her, so she turned her body towards him and he looked at her brow. His rough fingers came up to the spot and lightly touched the area. She felt some sort of warm fuzzy feelings coil up in her belly at his caress. She leaned into his fingers at her brow just a tiny bit, she couldn't help herself. His eyes inspected the damage, as he made sure that it was all okay. His eyebrow lifted in question as if to prompt her to answer Pepper. He slowly removed his fingers from the affected area. 

 

“Well… I… um, was playing around with a toaster and a piece of metal popped out and hit my that spot.” She tried to feed them the lie that everyone else had semi believed. Her tone was hesitant and they were not fooled for a second.

 

“You can tell me the truth, Antoinette,” Pepper said, holding her face to make sure she was looking into her eyes.

 

“Yeah, what she said, Ant,” Tony helpfully added.  

 

“Ant?” Antoinette questioned.

 

“You’re tiny and you get all red when you are angry and I can easily step on you,” He defended his nickname for her “You remind me of an ant.”

 

He said as if everyone came to those conclusions, “So yeah… Ant.”

 

She glared up at him, but inside she was so giddy. She had gotten a nickname and sidestepped a topic she had wanted to avoid all in one go.

 

“Listen to Pepper and answer the question, Ant.” And her mood dropped just like that. That giddiness was still right under the surface, though.

 

“Fine. Eliza threw a bottle of alcohol towards the wall but a tiny piece of glass came my way and it hit me there.” She muttered, avoiding eye contact and lightly touching the butterfly stitch on her eye.

 

“Kayla is a neighbor that took me to the ER to get it stitched up.” She looked up and Tony’s eyes were pure fire. Pepper was on the same boat, as her eyes were ablaze, too.

 

“So, apart from a being a _great_ mother, she is also an alcoholic,” Tony let out dryly.  “Fantastic.”

 

Tony looked like one of her explosions minutes before they went _BOOM._

 

“You look like one of my experiments when it’s about to explode.”  Netty shared her observation with everyone in the room. She even accompanied it with hand gestures that imitated an explosion. With all the wisdom an eight-year-old could conjure up, she added. “Can I call you Daddy?”

 

And that did it. Tony went off the rails with that. Like one of her experiments, he went _BOOM._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think? Thanks for reading. :D

**Author's Note:**

> I am on tumblr. I go by [Ironstilinski](http://ironstilinski.tumblr.com/). Come talk to me.


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